The Ontario Hockey League is a development league where players are hoping to build their skill sets to become professional hockey players.
But they aren’t the only ones hoping to graduate to the next level and move up the ranks in the professional sports world. general managers, coaches, and trainers all have a goal of making it to ‘the bigs’ and a former equipment manager for the North Bay Battalion is getting his first taste of life in the pro leagues.
Mackenzie Campbell (or Macker as he was known around the rink) is now the assistant equipment manager with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League, the affiliated team of the Los Angeles Kings.
A 23-year-old native of Stratford, Ontario, Campbell joined the North Bay Battalion at the beginning of the 2019-2020 season after working with his hometown team, Stratford Warriors Hockey Club of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League for three seasons prior.
“Near the beginning of the 2018-19 hockey season, I sent emails to a bunch of OHL teams’ equipment staff,” says Campbell.
“I asked about the job in general, how they got there, advice for someone in my situation, etc. A handful answered my questions and Spencer Stehouwer formerly with Sarnia (now Saskatoon) and Simon Payette with the Soo (Now AHL Laval) gave me their numbers if I had any more questions. However, all those conversations more or less ‘ended.”
Campbell says it was Simon with the Soo Greyhounds who reached out in the fall of 2018 with a proposal. “He said he wanted to offer me something he wishes he was offered when he was younger. He was asking if I wanted to work with him when they played the London Knights on January 4th, as he remembered I was from the London/Kitchener area. And of course, I said yes.”
Campbell says he took the opportunity very seriously.
“I ended up going down early on the Friday, setting up the room, the bench, and everything else before the players arrived with Simon. Then the London Knights equipment manager, Chris stopped over to make sure we were all good, I introduced myself and we talked for 30 seconds, shook hands, and that was it. After the game was over, and we were all cleaned up, I said thanks and that was that.”
Campbell says that ended up being an impactful impression on those involved.
“Fast forward and North Bay is looking for an equipment guy that spring. At the time assistant coach and assistant general manager Adam Dennis had previously played in London and knew the equipment manager there, and asked Chris if he knew anyone who might be interested. Initially, Chris didn’t think of anybody, but then Chris told Adam that he remembered someone who might be interested, who worked with the Soo when they were in London and seemed eager when they met. So, Chris got my info passed to him from Simon in the Soo to North Bay and I got offered the job after coming up for the spring dev camp.”
Campbell says he feels he got lucky in a bunch of ways, namely that a few people remembered him after some short encounters.
“This industry is all about who you know and the connections you make.”
Campbell says it was through another network that he was able to make the leap to the Reign.
“As an equipment manager, (along with athletic therapists, strength coaches, etc.) I am part of an association called SPHEM (Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers) and through that, teams post job openings to the members as it is kind of a niche job. In early June I got an email that the Kings and the Reign were hiring and applied by email to them. After about a week I received a phone call from the new head equipment manager with the Reign, we talked over a few things then scheduled a Zoom call with himself and the Reign GM.”
Campbell says that the call went very well, and they reached out to Battalion General Manager Adam Dennis who put in a good word for Campbell.
“I got a call from them again and we planned to meet at the SPHEM annual meetings that were in Phoenix, Arizona this past year and after meeting there I was formally offered the job on the final day, right before my flight actually.”
Campbell is living in Playa del Rey, just over an hour away from where the Reign play.
“The city is basically in a desert so is usually way hotter and dryer than it is compared to the actual city of L.A.,” he says.
“Ontario is about an hour east of LA, which for the team is a bit odd as the Reign and Kings share a practice facility located in southern L.A. and I spend a lot more time there during the season. The Reign operates practices and home game day morning skates out of the shared facility, so being able to be close to the Kings is invaluable in terms of resources and being able to work with their staff and four equipment managers. A cool thing about the two facilities for games and practices is that they are both equipped very similarly which is a benefit for the players.”
Campbell adds the biggest difference between the OHL to the AHL is the number of people and players in the organization.
“During the rookie tournament and NHL preseason, we ere carrying a lot of players between us and the Kings. The amount of staff is also something that cannot go unnoticed, from coaching to medical, team services to equipment. There is also a lot more travel involved. Not just the distance of opponents but the fact we get to fly to a lot of them if we are not driving in our equipment truck.”
Campbell says he has a lot of fond memories of his time with the North Bay Battalion but there is one that will forever stick out.
“Last season’s 2023 Conference final run,” he says.
“We may have fallen short on the ice but knowing that everyone on the team from myself and Athletic Therapist Andrew Sachkiw, to coaches, management, and especially the players, gave it their all. It made it the most fun six weeks of hockey I have gotten to be a part of.”
Campbell adds working with that staff in North Bay proved to be invaluable to his career development.
“We were together every day for some very long days and trips, but working with Sach and all the coaches and management, who genuinely cared about each other, made our group truly special.”
He says as a piece of advice for others in his position, working hard and staying passionate about what you do will lead you to success.
“If someone wanted to do this job, as long as they love it, the opportunities will come. It makes for a very long but also very rewarding job. Making connections is also the next most important thing, I wouldn’t be anywhere if I didn’t make connections from Junior B through the OHL until now.”
